1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to golf practice equipment generally, and more particularly to a ball dispensing and teeing apparatus which is manually operated by the user.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various golf practicing and teeing devices have been designed in the past, some of which were actuated by human-power alone. However, these devices were generally complex, cumbersome designs, which employed a multitude of moving parts to perform the function of teeing a golf ball for practice. These past designs were typically plagued by wear caused from friction among the multitude of moving parts, which resulted in frequent breakdowns and an increased necessity for maintenance.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,657 issued to Bussiere on Jun. 11, 1991, discloses a golf practice apparatus which is actuated by human-power means. Depression of a foot pedal by the user moves an "L" shaped shaft, one end of the "L" being connected to a tee mechanism, and the other end of the "L" being connected to a second shaft extending to a ratchet-operated ball dispensing means. The ratchet-operated ball dispensing means consists of a ball hopper with a rotating plate having numerous holes. Rotation of the plate is caused by a ratchet engaging numerous cogs in a gear mechanism, whereby when the ratchet is actuated, the plate rotates. Each time the pedal is pushed, the plate rotates, thereby allowing a single ball to be released through holes in the plate. This golf practice apparatus is reset by a system which includes a gas shock and a retracting spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,789 issued to Chung on Jul. 29, 1986, discloses a human-powered golf practice apparatus, wherein depression of a foot pedal a first time simultaneously moves three separate levers, which simultaneously causes a ball elevator to lower, four balls to be loaded onto the elevator, and a "ball raising" device to be lowered. Releasing the foot pedal causes a resiliently biased damping device to move two of the three levers, thereby simultaneously raising the ball elevator and releasing four balls onto a feed guide track. The foot pedal is then depressed a second time, simultaneously raising the ball raising device, and thereby releasing a ball and lowering a tee. When the foot pedal is released a second time, the ball elevator returns to its lower position, the tee is raised to a driving position, with a ball in place, and the ball elevator returns to the raised position, releasing more balls to the feed guide track. The ball raising device distributes one ball at a time by an elaborate mechanism which lowers and accepts a single ball from a ball tube. The ball raising device then raises and, subsequently, drops the ball onto the tee. This golf practice apparatus is reset with a biased damping device and a spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,081 issued to Cook on Apr. 21, 1987, discloses a human-powered golf practice apparatus wherein pushing a foot pedal depresses an air bellows which is connected to a second air bellows having a tee positioned on top. As the first bellows is depressed, the second bellows inflates, lifting the tee into a driving position.
In addition to human-powered golf practice apparatuses, there have been a myriad of golf practice devices driven by a variety of means other than by human-power. U.S. pat. No. 5,133,557 issued to Sugimoto on Jul. 28, 1992, discloses a golf practice apparatus with a teeing device operated by a drive mechanism dependent upon a system of hanging weights. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,661 issued to Jorgensen on Jul. 21, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,200 issued to Komori et al. on Mar. 17, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,401 issued to Fehrenbach et al. on Jan. 7, 1992, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,744 issued to Diamandis on Mar. 28, 1989, all disclose golf practice apparatuses which depend upon non-human power sources for operation, many of which employ a motor-driven means as a source of power.
Many of the foregoing patents disclose golf practice devices which, although actuated by human-power means, employ complex mechanical systems having a multitude of moving parts for performing the function of teeing golf balls for practice. Therefore, there is a need for a human-powered golf practice apparatus which is operable using a minimal number of moving parts and is therefore less prone to breakdown and requires less maintenance. The present invention disclosed herein has fewer moving parts than previous golf practice apparatuses, and therefore performs the function of teeing a golf ball in a more efficient manner with a lower potential for breakdown and a lessened maintenance requirement.
The foregoing patents reflect the state of the art of which the applicant is aware and are tendered with the view toward discharging applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information which may be pertinent in the examination of this application. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that none of these patents teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, applicant's claimed invention.